Compliance concerns have driven and continue to drive investment in new drug delivery technologies. The transdermal patch and implantable drug reservoirs are two prominent examples of this impact. As work with passive transdermal systems has progressed, so too has the realization of the true extent of the barrier to drug delivery presented by the stratum corneum, the skins outer layer of dead, hydrophobic, keratinized cells. Passive permeation of compounds through the skin became a major problem and very soon restricted the choice of compounds that were eligible for delivery in that manner. To expand the limits of transdermal drug delivery, developers are employing microporation techniques and energy sources such as ultrasound, heat and electrical current to affect active transport through the skin. These techniques can increase the upper molecular size limit dramatically, opening up a host of opportunities for transdermal delivery. To take full advantage of these evolving dynamics, active transdermal delivery participants must deal with a number of economic and market forces influencing the way drug companies develop and commercialize their products. Success will favor those sector participants willing to incorporate patient-centric design features and drug-device combination engineering paradigms into their product development programs.

Publication Date: October 2007